Back when I was completing my nutrition degree, one of my reading requirements was Deep Nutrition by Dr. Cate Shanahan. In her book, Dr. Shanahan shares how she was taught in medical school that cholesterol causes heart disease, that low-fat/low-cholesterol diets were “heart-healthy,” and that statins were the gold standard for lowering cholesterol. But something didn’t add up for her. If saturated fats and cholesterol were truly the villains, why were so many of the...

  Most people deep down realize that a healthy diet is good for them—and a smart thing to do. So why do the average American’s dietary habits range from not-so-great to downright abysmal? If you doubt that, consider these facts: Only about 10% of U.S. adults eat the recommended daily intake of vegetables (2.5–3 cups per day). Nearly half of children under 5 don’t eat a daily vegetable, and just 2% of high schoolers meet...

  I think it’s fair to say that sickness and disease have been normalized to a large degree in our society today. In fact, we’ve reached the point where you’re considered an oddball if you don’t have something wrong with you or aren’t taking medications! Let me remind you of these truths: Disease is not normal. It’s not a reflection of your body needing a drug. It’s not something expected as you age. And it’s...

  If you’ve been a reader of mine for a while, you know I don’t hesitate to call out what’s wrong in our healthcare system. Now, don’t get me wrong—I have tremendous respect for doctors, nurses, and others who devote their lives to helping people. But my concern lies with the training most health professionals receive. It’s largely symptom-focused, with far too little emphasis on uncovering the root cause of illness. Instead of true healing,...

  If you ask the average person how they think an unhealthy gut would affect them, I bet most people would mention things like gas, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. Very true, but that’s just the tip of the intestinal iceberg. Over the last 30+ years, studies of the gut microbiome have continued to expand and have shown that these tiny microorganisms that call you home play a MAJOR role in every aspect of your body’s functioning! Here’s what I mean. The mighty microbiome When you consider that your gut microbiome houses 80 percent of your immune system, is predominantly responsible for...

Could You Be Running Low on Vitamin D? What if one missing nutrient was quietly fueling some of the most common health problems we see today? Hippocrates—the Father of Modern Medicine—believed disease often began with imbalances in the body, especially from nutritional deficiencies. He helped his patients regain health safely and naturally with nutrients. Fast forward to modern medicine, and the approach has flipped. Doctors rarely ask about diet, pharmacy lines get longer, and many...